George's Technical Tips Page

Notice

The Large Scale Trains Page has moved to a new home. As of 19 September 2002, this version of the Large Scale Trains Page is obsolete and will not be updated. However, it will remain here on TrainWeb in its current form for as long as the kind folks at TrainWeb wish it to remain.

Please bookmark the new link so that you can have access to all future updates. I finally sprung for my own domain and hosting service so that the rest of my family can maintain their own pages as well. If your site has links to this page, you might want to update them.

This page links to a collection of technical tips pages that I have
written based on several years of Large Scale Railroading experience. I
usually only write about topics where I have direct experience so all
possible topics are not covered.

This whole web site was started as an exercise in html. It has since
taken on a life of its own. I keep doing this because there seems
little point in learning something without sharing it with someone
else. The Internet allows me to share with people that I've never met
and are not likely to ever meet. Maybe it'll even be here after I'm
gone.

Others have taken the time to write up their experiences too. This
information is scattered on personal and commercial web sites all
across the web so I have taken in on myself to list the places that I've found
where more, and perhaps better, technical information can be found.
I'll add to it as I stumble across more useful stuff.

Nobody pays me to write this stuff so I am free to write what I
think as long as I stay within libel and slander laws. I do try to be
completely fair in my judgements of the equipment discussed. If I see
something that I think is worth noting, be it positive or negative,
I'll bring it out. There seems to be little point in exposing a product
"feature" without also suggesting a remedy for the feature. Being an
engineer by inclination and training, fixing bugs in systems big and
small and mentoring to others are my specialties.

I do have a personal preference for Bachmann, Aristo and USA Trains
products (primarily based on cost vs value trades), so you'll see more
information on their products than those by other manufacturers. If a
particular product isn't covered here, it is because I have not
purchased it or the manufacturer hasn't sent me a sample.

After reading a few of my pages, you'll note that I manage to find something wrong with just about everything that I describe, no matter who makes it. Some readers feel that the problems are a lack of quality with some or other manufacturer doing better than another. Maybe I should expect more, but after seeing a good sampling of products, I haven't found one yet that doesn't need some kind of work right out of the box. I'm resigned to it by now. Besides, tweaking things is one of the things that I do best. So assuming that everything is going to need some kind of work, I evaluate how good something is AFTER it gets fixed.

I hope that you find the information that is here to be useful. If
somebody actually makes any of the changes that I suggest, I'd like to
hear about it. I'd also like to hear if the descriptions were not clear
or complete. Drop me an Email or post a
note on my
Guestbook.

Notice to Newsletter Editors. If you would like to run any of
these tips in your print media newsletters for nonprofit clubs, go
ahead. However, I request that you retain my copyright and notice of
authorship and mail me a hard copy of that issue. Please Email for my US Mail address.

Notice to ALL web site authors and operators. You may link to
any or all pages in this site, but you MAY NOT copy
any content from any page.